Work on the 21-deck, liquefied natural gas-powered ship – which is set to be Princess’s largest – is well under way at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard, with Sun Princess due to make its debut in the Mediterranean next February. The line plans to bring the ship to the UK in September 2024, Princess vice-president UK and Europe Eithne Williamson told TTG last year.

Approaching from the dockside, writes Dave Monk for TTG, the most striking feature is a nine-storey glass "sphere" in the centre, which gives the new Princess class its name. On top is a glass dome that’s a pool area by day and entertainment venue at night.

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At the stern is the Wakeview Terrace, which looks up to rear balconies, and a cantilevered restaurant provisionally called Altitude. An infinity pool will be added later.

The three-storey main restaurant, Horizons, will have a sculpture rising up through the decks. More formal dining will be on deck six with an increasingly casual atmosphere on decks seven and eight.

Princess’s aim with Sun Princess is to "bring the outside in" and give great views of the sea, said the line’s new-build director Richard Parker. Above the promenade deck will be a cabana deck with private outdoor areas.

In another design first, embarkation and disembarkation of the ship’s 4,300 passengers will be made easier by having a dedicated deck called The Landing, which leads straight into guest space, said Parker. New luxury tenders will take holidaymakers ashore when the ship is unable to dock.

Simone Clark, Iglu Cruise senior vice-president global supply, told TTG: "I thought Sun Princess was beautifully designed. There’s so much light, it’s outward-looking. The aft pool bar is absolutely wonderful and perfect for a pre-dinner drink."

Clark added: "I like the way they have repurposed venues and made them bigger and multi-functional. Princess Live, for example, can be used all day long – previously it was a small room for karaoke."

You can see more of the ship as it takes shape via Dave’s Twitter account following Wednesday’s shipyard tour.

https://twitter.com/shipmonk/status/1633428851157073922